Customer Reviews

Frommer's The Carolinas and Georgia (Frommer's Complete Guides)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

We were greatly disappointed in this travel guide since the information was out-of-date. We spent a great deal of time locating a highly rated and recommended restaurant only to find that it had closed years ago. Other recommended restaurants also did not meet the expectations according to the review criteria. We tossed the book aside and relied on recommendations of the locals.

This travel guide is just okay. It doesn't go into detail at each destination, just an overview. I expected details especially in Atlanta, Charleston, Savannah and Charlotte. I did not find this book helpful.

My husband and I visited Charleston for two nights on our way to Florida in June. As always, Frommers's to-the-point opinions were right on. We had a wonderful stay at a historic inn and enjoyed some memorable dining experiences. Although it was wretched hot, the maps of Charleston were easy to understand and we were easily able to venture out of town to explore the Isle of Palms and the Boone Plantation without getting lost-hehe.

I cannot say enough good things about the organization of this book. We were easily able to find activities and dining options in our price range and were never steered wrong. It also includes so many other wonderful vacation destinations (i.e. Outer Banks, Savannah, Beaufort, Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head, etc) so you definitely get your money's worth.

If you need lodging and restaurant information in the most of the cities in the coverage area, this is a good guide. It has details on price, location, menu's and more but lacks the originality to take you to the little known local joints that have the best pancakes or killer catfish. Very good for the business traveler and the vacationer that is not interested in straying too far from the obvious choices or experiencing the local culture. If you want to get away from it all.....keep looking

I have purchased a lot of travel guides and have done a lot of traveling in my life. However, this is one of the most disappointing, poorly written, travel guide I have ever used. First of all, the majority of the book is lodging and dining info, mainly expensive places with little info for the budget traveler. Most of this info could be found via the internet with greater accuracy, depth, variety, etc. That was about 2/3's of the book. For some some of the more important spots like Charleston, Charlotte, Atlanta, and Savannah there was little info about history, what to see and do, etc. And most of the info was old and inaccurate. I was able to get more info, using my iPhone. Take my advice, skip this piece of poop guide and use the internet. You will be much better off in the long run. Another piece of advice, skip Myrtle Beach, SC totally! It is nothing but a bunch of hotels, bad food places, cheap beach items and miniature golf courses.

I know this may sound like a commercial, but what can I do? I've become a fan of Frommer's guides. They are predictable in terms of quality: you know you will get a solid and up-to-date guide for your trip planning needs. It is consistent through the years, even as it improves: you know where to look for things. But best of all, it is definitely written with the traveller in mind. Things are arranged in a way that makes searching for information easy. We are planning a trip to North Carolina soon, and I sat down to get ideas and tips for it with the Frommer's guide to the Carolinas & Georgia. I am happy I took the time to check it out. We now have the info we need to make the most of our time there without having to "eBay" an arm and a leg.

Nothing short of awesome! Frommer's always has great info. We usually like choosing the "hole in the walls" and "locals" type joints to experience for dining and even staying. Even the inside details, i.e. history, are interesting. We don't go anywhere without a Frommers!

Note that this review is for the 2009 edition.

Heading down from Atlanta, to spend a week on the coast of Georgia (especially St. Simons), I took with me three guides: Frommer's, Fodor's The Carolinas & Georgia and Moon: Savannah & the Georgia Coast. For just the GA coast, Moon's new release "Savannah & the Georgia Coast" - was the best.

Frommer's is superbly laid out guide. It gives you a brief history section, as well as sections that films, books & music that reflects the Carolinas & Georgia in print and celluloid (tip: before your journey, have a little fun and a get few DVD to set the mood- Gone with the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird, Driving Miss Daisy and, of course, Forest Gump to name a few).

This guide has great information on what to see; and their recommended accommodation and restaurant were very reliable, with many good choices. That said, I found a few reviews that were carried over from the previous edition without checking out if the place was still good, or open. Also, I found some great new restaurants that had been opened for two years or more, i.e. the Cargo Grill in Brunswick, that should have been in this 2009 guide. However, no guide will be 100% current; thus, you should cross-check Tripadvior on the internet to get the latest scoop.

This guide has a serious downside and it is the lack of maps. Maps that help you locate the accommodations and restaurants guide are absent, except for only the largest cities (Atlanta, Savannah, Charlotte etc.). This is a critical shortcoming on the part of the publishers.

Overall this is a very good and reliable travel guide, superior to Fodor's, and good for all of the Carolinas and Georgia. However, if you are going to just the Georgia Coast I strongly commended Moon's. Happy travels. Recommended 3.5 stars

The book was ok. It just didn't make clear the massive building of condos and other buildings in places where we thought the coast was clear. Matbe our misread. The outer banks were the pits.

I'm used to travel books with a lot of pictures, but the more I travel the more I see how the pictures from the books are not the same in reality. This book is a good example how only two cover pictures and well written text can manage you to want going to this far away place.